Parents usually refers to the man and woman who had sex and created you! Sometimes children who are raised in foster home for example might call their foster parents their parents anyway, even if they are not related by blood, and some consider relatives they live with (like aunts or grandparents) to be the centre of the parental role.
After reading most of the definitions on here, I came to the conclusion that many of the authors are most likely teenagers, as it is common that during the teenage years a child's parents will want them to obey their rules, be home by the time they specify, do your homework, etc, and the teen will want to obey their own rules, for now that they are older they can do more things on their own, and do not require supervision, assistance, or guidance, or so they think.

Now, think about this....

Are your parents really so bad? Are they really "nazi fascists" whose sole purpose in life is to make your existence miserable? Sure, they have their own expectations and longings for you, and set rules and boundaries for you, but do they not provide you with a home, clothing, food, education, and a watchful eye as you grow into a young adult? Before I go on I will say that I know parents are not always the best at their job, and there are some who don't do it at all. My father is an example of this, he ditched my mom after I was born, rarely visited, and never paid child support. Even to this day, he and I still do not have the relationship I think a father and son should. So it is not unreasonable to say that some parents are infact unfit for the job of parenting, which is a full time responsibility. And in the case of assholes who abuse their wives and children, they should be castrated so they cannot have children at all.

Anyway, the reasons parents provide you with rules are many, and when you think about it, are quite logical usually. Here are some examples:

1. Come home by a certain time, or curfew. Parents understand that, depending on where you live, it is unsafe to be wandering the streets after dark, especially if you have been drinking to excess, doing potent drugs, or other activities to alter your perception and judgement abilities. They want you to be home and safe so you can continue to live and maybe go out to see another party. Those bastards, eh?

2. Maintain your living space, help with chores. This is just common courtesy. They are giving you free room and board until you are 18 (sometimes even later), the least you can do is take out the trash, wash the dishes, or at the very least keep your room tidy. Also the ability to keep a clean living space becomes important when you move into your own place, because if the landlord inspects your apartment and finds toxic mold in the sink, you will be evicted due to health risks. And besides, when you have your own place and you throw sexy parties with members of the opposite sex, would you not want them to be impressed by how well you take care of your own home? You can thank your parents for that.

3. No drugs/drinking/smoking in our house. Depending on the parents you have, this is a varied policy. I have known some parents (like my mom) who absolutely despise the idea of their child using substances that will harm their bodies or minds. The young mind is developing, and after a 3 week stay in a mental hospital at age 16, caused by excessive drug and alcohol use, I learned that it is good to nurture the brain and only give it "treats" like drugs or liquor occasionally, at least until you are older and your brain becomes more powerful. Some parents on the other hand, (like my dad) do not care if their child uses drugs or drinks and smokes in their place. Once again this comes back to the parent's personal ethos on substance use. Some parents are paranoid that they will be caught with illegal items in their homes, which can of course lead to legal troubles, for you and them. Although this does seem an unlikely event, that the popo will break down the door of your house and raid the place until they find something illegal, some parents are irrationally paranoid about it. If you are going to use drugs, at least hide your paraphrenalia well, if you are smoking said drug, do it outside, even out a window is fine.

4. When you become legal age of majority, to continue living there you must get a job and pay rent, go to school, or alternatively find your own place. This is the one my mom slapped me with when I turned 18, but it is not as bad as one would think. Your parents are not going to charge you $825 per month plus power and water to live with them. If approached respectfully you can negotiate a rent price which will make them happy and still leave you some spending money. If you are asked to give up 100% of your earnings, then you might want to consider finding your own place. Going to school (college) while living at home is great! Usually you can negotiate being able to not pay rent and just focus on schooling while living at home. This provides the bonus of a higher education, which in turn will get you a better job in the future. Plus, think of how many hot chicks you'll meet at college! If neither of these appeal to you, but you do not want to find your own place, I suggest sitting your parent(s) down and talking to them with the utmost respect, and explain your situation.

5. You are forbidden to date so and so. This one is a common complaint among teenage girls. As teenagers, they feel like they are ready for true love and all the responsibility that comes with it. Unfortunately, as a teen your emotions are usually clouded with hormones and lustful urges. Love at first sight is usually just limerence, even though the 17 year old goth girl doesn't want to admit it. If your parents think someone is dangerous, then for the love of God, DON'T DATE THEM! Your parents know what it is like to be your age, they didn't miraculously appear on earth at the age they are now. They know trouble when they see it and are ultimately looking out for your best interests. And yes, in the 40s-70s there were criminals too.
There are many more grounds for dispute amongst parents and teens, but this is a good umbrella list.
And since I think I have yacked enough, I will close by saying that although it may seem that your parents are power hungry and driven to make you crazy, if they do not beat you up, do not molest you, do not call you names nonstop, and provide you with many things a lesser priveledged person would not have, then for everyone's sake, show them some respect and love too, because they only want what is best for you.

16 Y/O GOTH: My parents are such nazis! they made me cut off my 29 inch deathhawk and take out the 19 piercings on my face! They want me to be a conformist!
Me: Actually, they probably want you to not look like a freakshow rolled into town and you escaped from it. You will not get a job if you look like that.

Some parents are abusive in some way, and if they are I recommend TELLING SOMEONE about it and getting out of the situation. Do not be scared, you will be taken care of if you just tell somebody who can help.

The Urban Dictionary T-Shirt

the reason that the teenage years are a living hell. they're only goal in life is to make sure you dont have one. also, to make sure you're childhood is worse than theirs was. and they never have good reasons to back their arguement up.